Little Free Pantry Pops Up in Stockton

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

STOCKTON -- A Stockton woman set up a Little Free Pantry three weeks ago and people have responded with gratitude and a desire to grow her efforts with a donation box of their own.

Tina Cervantes says she got the idea after watching a viral video from another state.

She believes there are only two other inactive Little Free Pantries in Northern California, one in Concord and one in San Francisco.

The box is for anyone who has "food insecurity."

Basically, people can come and get food, hygiene products and other items at any time of the day. They can also leave donations.

"Take what you need. Leave what you can. Above all Blessed be," reads the donation box in Stockton.

People have been telling Cervantes that opening the box and being able to get not only hygiene products but a little bag of cookies "made them feel human again."

FOX40 talked to a woman who drove from across town to visit the box. She brought some canned goods to drop off and took some toiletries in exchange. That woman had a job, but is living on a fixed income.

Cervantes said she grew up not knowing if her family would have food as well, so she knows how it feels.

Her little free pantry is at 2932 North California Street in Stockton.